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The natural world has been one of the frequent subjects of poetry, oftentimes the preceding one, in every age and every country.
Nature’s power, creativity, and sheer beauty have always intrigued humankind. When we look at powerful ocean waves rolling in, we cannot help but feel small and weak in comparison. Mighty trees in a vast forest inspire emotions of smallness and awe.
Many of the ethical issues that we encounter in everyday life are present in the high peaks, only to a sharper degree.
Musing on topics such as wonder and amazement, fear and how to encounter it, the appealing degree of the prominent peaks, as well as the role of uncertainty, fate, and opportunity, Mr. Goldman makes obtainable to the wider public the otherwise concealed realities that mountaineers usually encounter.
What are the everyday realities of mountaineering you should know about?
Mountaineering varies from other outdoor sports in that nature alone provides the field of action—and just about all of the challenges—for the participant.
Climbing mountains assimilates the thrills created by trying one’s courage, resourcefulness, crafty, muscle, capability, and dynamism to the maximum in a situation of intrinsic risk.
What does mountaineering feel like?
Mountaineering often concerns a whole scope of feelings; sometimes, they can all collide simultaneously!
Words cannot express the sense of liberation you get when climbing a peak. It is truly a spiritual adventure escaping you feeling alive! You will learn a lot about yourself, some inner strengths you never even knew were there, and new powers develop.
There will also be good times and bad times on any ascent. That’s what makes the sport so personally challenging and character-building. But those instants pass to be substituted by great sanities of accomplishment that will stay with you permanently.
Presented as forty-five narrative-style poems, some rhyming and others in prose, Reflections on Mountaineering: A Journey Through Life as Experienced in the Mountains summarizes much of what the poet-mountaineer, Alan V. Goldman, learned in his more than thirty years of experience climbing.
Further, many of the poems address the perception of humans of reality in the context of the purpose of life itself and how climbers impart meaning to the Freedom of the Hills by climbing them. The poet addresses his position at the natural and spiritual realms meet.
His rendering of mountainous landscapes enables the vision to conjure the picture of all things that are beautiful and lively. The poems encourage us to walk the world with our eyes open, recognize human frailties, and engage in the priceless glory of Creation.
Of course, the poems deal with the emotions evoked by aiming for success in the mountains but also cope with the concussion of defeat.
And lastly, this collection of poems strings life-changing verses of pure heart and soul. It addresses the connection between humans and nature, and the mountains often indicate what we strive to beat or reach.
The objective of climbing a peak is a hunger for self-improvement. If you give up, then you will lose hope someday. It alludes to the desire to live and keep battling for your right. Having a high spirit is not permanently associated with evil characters but refers to the determination to discover your goals.
Above all, there is the purpose to be found in the actual practice and discipline required for mountaineering, as well as in participating in the thrill of the conquest of both the peaks and of ourselves.
About the Author
Alan V. Goldman graduated from The Horace Mann School, 1975; Harvard College, 1979; and Harvard Law School, 1982. In addendum to his mountaineering adventures as his avid hobby, he practiced law for many years and is now retired.
Want to know more about the book? Get to know the author and the book by visiting the website https://www.mountainreflections.art/ and if you wish to purchase a copy of the book, visit the Amazon website for more details.